Somaliland asks to be exempted from US travel ban
Somalia's breakaway northern territory of Somaliland has asked the United States for an exemption to President Donald Trump's executive order on travellers from seven predominantly Muslim nations.
Somalia is one of the affected countries, but Somaliland considers itself an independent state after breaking away in 1991.
It continues to seek international recognition for its claim.
A statement by Somaliland's foreign affairs minister, Saad Ali Shire, says the republic wrote a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly on Monday requesting the exemption to the travel ban.
The statement says Somaliland argued it "has not experienced the emergence of terrorist organisations", in contrast to Somalia, where home-grown extremist group al-Shabab continues to carry out deadly attacks.
AP
